Semi-weekly south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1883-1889, 1887-04-26

pies coal as to mine il for themselves
There had been at times serious
abuses in connection with this, but
they had not been bad enough 10
crush out the business Of the indie
pendent dealers. The railroads would
carry coal from the mines TO New
York at rate which did not furnish
inordinate profit and in this respect
they treated their own coal very
much like that of other people. II
coal at the mines cost ~ % and the
transportation charge to New York
was SLIGO, the independent dealers
and the company were both able to
sell coal at any price above SO 81. a
ton"
Under section 4 of the new act
, roads could not name lower rate to
New York than 10 intermediate sta
lions. AS they are unable TO reduce
local rates, an advance to New York
TO $3.50 followed, which is twenty
cents a ton, making the cost in New
York 81 05 as against SO 50 as form
erly. Continuing, the Evening Post
says:
''The act positively forbade the rail
road company to give the shipper
any rate which would not pay its
share of the fixed charges. But 1t
did not prevent the railroad company
from itself delivering coal in New
York at much lower rate than this.
1t was matter of indifference to the
RAILROAD company whether 1t charged
itself 1926 at the pit and SLIGO for
transportation or $2.05 at the pit and
81 so for transportation. 1t obtained
the came sum-$3.65-in both cases,
and it was mere matter of book
keeping which division of charges is
adopted, But if a railroad company
was SO Situated that it could deliver
coal at any price above $3 80 while
no independent coal owner was able
| to deliver it under $405, it gave the
railroads an enormous advantage; in
fact, il rendered it impossible for the
independent owner TO live. II is
hard to see what there's left for him
to do, except TO sell out his mines to
the railroad company and give 1t a
complete monopoly of the coal supply
result from every point Of view un-
desirable.
We see, therefore that the law is
working with equally i'll effect every
where. II is increasing the cost of the
necessaries of life; IL is giving the
railroads a greater control over COM
merce; it is depriving the producer
of competitive markets; 1t is localiz.
ing all traffic, and in time, if adhered
TO, il will depreciate the value of all
lands distant from the great CONNER
cial centers. One effect in Louisville
may be to advance the price of an
thracite coal TO point where the
parlor stoves may be an expensive
luxury only within the reach of a
few.
1t is TO be remembered that in the
face Of all these injuries and embar-
easements there have been little or no
compensation. The grain dealers OF
Chicago, which city has almost alb
solute control of the lake transporta-
ton, look with favor on the law, for
II will be impossible 10 lower rates
In the interiorto compete with Chi
cago rates, as is now done and New
Orleans hopes by a revival of river
transportation, which revival can on
ly follow large advance in trans
portation charges, to regain her lost
dominion, but the interests of the
people would in each case be sacri-
feed to the interests of class, and
the welfare of any class or Of any
community which depends on the adj
vance in the transportation charge
on the people at large is not worthy
of any consideration.